7 Steps To Upgrading Your Style

So I’ve recently been through the process of upgrading my own personal style.

From redefining my style and clearing out my wardrobe to visiting a personal shopper and adding new pieces, I wanted to walk you through the 7 steps I went through.

In fact I documented the process on video for you to follow along and upgrade your style.

But I want to make something clear before we move on…

You don’t need a lot of money to upgrade your style.

This is a big misconception a lot of men have.

They believe that in order to upgrade their style they need to go out and spend a lot of money on new clothes. These 7 steps will make the process easier but it will also save you money and time in the long run.

Why I Did It

First I want to explain why I personally went through the process of upgrading my style as well.

Surely a Founder of a Men’s Fashion Magazine, someone who’s been featured on GQ and Vogue doesn’t need to spend time upgrading their style?

Well the simple realisation I had was that I felt fake in a lot of the images you’ve typically seen of me.

Why? Because I work from home. I don’t wear a suit everyday but my wardrobe was built like I did.

If you asked me to dress up for a formal business meeting I’d be able too, but ask me to dress casually (but stylishly) to grab a coffee and I’d struggle.

My wardrobe consisted mostly of suits and formal attire where my day to day lifestyle consisted mostly of casual events.

I needed to redefine my style, get my wardrobe to match it and most importantly reinvent the way I dressed.

#1 – Define Your Style

The first step to upgrading your style is to simply define it.

How do you want to dress?

What do you want to look like?

At first it’s all about building up a picture of how you want to dress and why you want to dress that way.

The key thing to consider is your lifestyle. Wearing a suit will improve your appearance, it will get you attention and give you more authority but if you’re someone who doesn’t need to wear a suit everyday a sartorial style won’t be beneficial.

What do you do for the majority of the day and what kind of uniform is needed?

When defining your style researching and looking for inspiration will help. Looking for outfits you like on Instagram, blogs and magazines is a great place to start.

For me personally I wanted to improve my casual attire, but I wanted to still keep it smart. I didn’t want to take on a casual trend, I wanted to keep things timeless and focus on smart/casual attire.

#2 – Deal With Your Existing Wardrobe

A mans wardrobe should be organised, minimal, complete with quality pieces and in my opinion be focused around timeless pieces.

The reality is the typical mans wardrobe is unorganised bursting with clothing, the clothing isn’t of high quality and only 20% of the clothing and accessories in the wardrobe are worn.

That’s right…

I can almost guarantee that if you’re looking to upgrade your style you wear 20% of the clothing in your wardrobe for 80% of the time, and 80% of the clothing in your wardrobe for 20% of the time.

We hoard, we hold onto clothing we don’t wear and we just wear the same thing over and over again.

It shouldn’t be complicated.

This process is daunting for most men but it’s probably one of the most important steps.

You need to go through your whole wardrobe and separate your clothing into 4 piles.

1. To Keep

This pile is for items you want to keep. Make sure that these items match your style definition from step 1.

2. To Keep But Alter/Repair

This pile is for items you want to keep but they don’t fit you. Tailoring is the next step and altering your existing clothing to fit you better will save you money and time.

3. To Get Rid Of/Giveaway

These are items you simply don’t wear or items that don’t match your style definition. Bag them up and give them away to friends, family or charity.

4. To Sell

If you have more expensive items from recognised brands you might want to sell them. I sold some of my existing clothing on eBay and made over £400. This £400 then went into the budget for adding new pieces to my wardrobe.

The key thing with this step is to be ruthless.

If you haven’t worn something for a few months and if it doesn’t match with your style definition from step 1… get rid of it.

Overall I spent around £250 on alterations but it completely rejuvenated my wardrobe. I had a suede jacket that looked like a hammy down from my Dad tailored to something more slim fitting and modern. The trousers that didn’t fit me on the waist were altered to fit perfectly, meaning I can now wear them again.

Any item you want to keep (but doesn’t fit) take it to a tailor. Any item you buy from now on (that doesn’t fit perfectly) take to a tailor.

Seriously, this step alone will completely upgrade your style.

#4 – The Importance of Style Advice

The quickest way to improve something is to get someone who’s already achieved it to show you how.

I stand by this theory with anything in life.

It’s the same with improving your style, trying to figure it out yourself and going through a lot of trial and error will eventually get you to where you want to be but the easiest way would be to get someone to show you how.

For me personally I used a personal shopper for this process, but you can use Magazine’s, blogs, YouTube, stylish friends and also online styling services.

The important thing is to get them to advise you on specifics related to your style definition.

#5 – Adding New Pieces To Your Wardrobe

Obviously no style upgrade is complete without adding new pieces to your wardrobe. But this step here is where most men slip up.

Again there’s a huge misconception around needing to spend a lot of money to look good.

Quality over quantity is an important principle when it comes to style but quality doesn’t always mean expensive.

The biggest mistake most men make (myself included) is we impulse buy. We head to the shops, we see something we like, we buy it, wear it a few times and then hoard it away.

When you add new pieces to your wardrobe it’s important to have a plan. In fact the easiest way to put it is a ‘shopping list’.

Write down exactly what you need added to your wardrobe, alongside this write a budget for each item and also research behind what stores specialise in that specific product.

For example: I needed new t-shirts. I wrote down on my list specifics, such as Grey Crew Neck T-Shirt and Black V-Neck T-Shirt. I then set a budget for t-shirts, keeping it quite low. I also then researched online for the best brands and stores that do high quality but affordable t-shirts. I again wrote this down on my list.

Having a plan ahead of time will save you money and time. Know what you want, where you’re going to get it and enjoy the process.

3 COMMENTS

Nino

I’d like to know whether there’s a significant difference between American and British good clothing styles? Putting it in another way… how will I look in America if I follow the suggestions from a British fashion magazine?

Paul McGregor

Good question, personally I don’t think there’s a huge difference but of course it all depends on the style someone opts for. The more classic, timeless style I tend to opt for doesn’t differ a lot from the US.

FOLLOW US

Join Us

Become A Better Man

Free Video Series

Do you want to see the 4 videos that will help transform your style and unlock your confidence? Enter your email below...

Your Email

Latest Video

Every guy wants to dress better, and MFM is your daily dose of men’s fashion and style. Focusing on style education features, fashion news, and connecting the modern day man to the menswear industry, we’re here to help.

NEWS LETTER

About MFM

We are an online mens fashion magazine, and have been running since 2011. Covering a wide variety of topics such as men's fashion trends, style tips, news from the industry, and the latest sale offers, MFM has been labelled the number one online resource for men's fashion and style. Driven by a group of fashion enthusiasts, our team work hard providing you with regular articles to enhance your personal style.

More About Paul

Looking to find out more about Paul, the Founder of MFM? He has his own personal blog sharing personal insights into style, fitness and personal development. For any personal enquiries, or if you're looking to unlock your full potential, create more freedom in your life and feel the best (and look the best) you ever have... then visit Paul's blog here.

Advertise With Us

We're always looking for exciting brands and retailers to advertise with us. If you're looking for a website which has a high amount or targetted traffic to advertise your campaign, get in touch with us by emailing us here. You can always check out our packages over at our Advertising page